Contentment
by dewdrop721
Summary: What if life was really giving us all hidden chances in life to be happy? When Courtney and Duncan split up, he realizes juts how much he needs her. Courtney has found someone else. What will it take for them to finally be content? DxC, GxT, GxB
1. Prologue

Contentment.

Most people think that it means you get the happy ending and then its happily ever after. The guy gets the girl. The monster dies or reforms. They all live happily ever after in some happy, beautiful place -- the end. No one ever thought past that ending. Because naturally, nothing could ever go wrong. How could it when that happiness and peace surround you.

But really, this is reality. Life is not always happy. Life is not always fair. Each day more and more people search for their happy ending. And millions fail. Life couldn't really be that morbid. Could it? Maybe. Or maybe not?

What if life was really giving us all hidden chances in life to be happy? What if that meant not having it all but settling for something that didn't actually meet our high standards? Something that isn't as shiny and glittery on the outside, but was on the inside just as good. Maybe we wouldn't have it all, but we would we would have enough. We could be content - at peace.

Many in life never look that deeply. They only skim the surface. They only see the cover, but they never read the pages. Sometimes though, there are those who do. Maybe they aren't the richest, but neither are they poor.

If we wish to be happy, we must realize that sometimes that can only be achieved by sacrificing our happiness or wishes for those we care about. Maybe we might hurt, but in the end can we truly be happy if those we love and care about are unhappy?

It's ironic that people search their entire lives for that single goal and it could be standing there in front of them and they would never know.

I'll be your storyteller. Your weaver of dreams. Teller of tales. The tale is not that of fairytales.

This is real.


	2. Falling

Falling.

I never expected to fall for him. At first I thought I couldn't stand him. He broke all the rules, he was rude, disrespectful. He was the farthest thing from me personality wise. He could never fit into my agenda. I was going places, I would be successful. I was sure after his moment of fame he would screw up again and again until his age finally got the best of him and he ended up in jail. I know it was judgmental, but he was the type of person I was taught to avoid for those very reasons. He would only bring me down. He was also annoying on top of that. He just seemed to get a kick out of personally pissing me off. Jerk.

I grew to hate him.

Maybe that's where I made my mistake. After all they do say the there's a thin line between love and hate. And he probably crossed that line the first time he started an argument.

I was the captain of my school's debate team. I could out reason anybody. Arguing with me was pointless because in the end I would win. I would get my way. Case closed. Of course Duncan would never leave well enough alone. Maybe because in the end he was the same. He would win the fight. He didn't listen to anyone. And that's where our relationship began.

Two teens with one thought in mind: to rip each other's head off.

One of us would say something or rib at the other and then another World War was started. Maybe he got my blood rushing and my eyes focused in on a glare at him. Maybe that was when I noticed that even though I thought he was disgusting….he was actually good looking. Never in a soft way, by any means. No boyish good looks. He was like a diamond in the rough. But despite his rough look he had going, his eyes were absolutely beautiful. Teal and innocent looking, as if to say he couldn't be the cause of any trouble.

A lie.

But none the less a beautiful one. So expressive. Most times they had a sarcastic or mischievous look. Then other times there teal ocean blue would be ice cold and hard. Now even I know, that enemies shouldn't be thinking about things like this. I was supposed to find a weakness and exploit it. Not stare at his looks. So I did. Even I thought that the one about his parents not even liking him was harsh, but just as the guilt hit me and I thought to apologize he laughed it off. Really, I should have known that little comments didn't really affect him.

Then I fell asleep and had one of the best dreams. Of course I'll never remember it all completely, but I do remember I had warm fuzzy feelings that I just wasn't used to having. Not that I'd never been with someone, but it felt different. And then I woke up with my thoughts all fuzzy and incoherent and saw Duncan. I had been cuddling him in my sleep. I thought about how relaxed he was and how warm he felt.

Then I came to and almost had a heart attack.

What the heck had happened?!

I think every moment after that just built up what was already there. Even though I'd never say it aloud, he interested me. He intrigued me. He was everything I wasn't. It was a territory I'd never explored and things I'd never been or done. On many levels I was curious and being indifferent was the only way to mask it. After all my pride just wouldn't allow me to let him realize that he had acquired my attention. It was later that I realized that maybe I'd come to have a small, insignificant little school girl crush on him. Of course it would never become serious. I mean after all, he was self-centered, a jerk, narcissistic, rude, crude, a perv, a delinquent and a rule breaker. How could I possibly have a crush on him? I just didn't understand. But I also couldn't deny that when I saw that him I just might have gotten a tingly warm feeling in my stomach.

That little crush just ran out the window when it happened.

Before I could always rationalize that there was nothing good about him. He wasn't kind. Nothing at all sweet. So why in the world would I like him? His flirting was just a way to get with me, have his fun and then ditch me. He probably didn't even really like me. He was just getting a good laugh out of getting the one person who couldn't stand him to fall for him and then I would never hear the end of it.

After I came to after the trust challenge I was dizzy and confused. My first rational thought and feeling was that I was pissed off at Sadie and that she was going to get it. I began to wonder where I was and after I learned from Heather soon got the ok from Chef. I left the infirmary and then saw something that changed everything as I froze out of confusion. I saw Duncan leading a bunny back to camp with a carrot. Just what did he want with a bunny? As far as I knew he wasn't even that particularly nice to animals either. My mind was reeling with questions.

I then learned the story after the days challenges were over with. Apparently Bunny ran off while Geoff was watching him for DJ. I also learned from Bridgette the real story: Bunny got eaten by a snake, which gotten eaten by an eagle, which gotten eaten by a shark.

Ok…that's weird…but anyway Bunny was dead. Rip. Finished. He wasn't coming back. And Duncan had run into a rabbit which he then gave to DJ to replace the real one without him even knowing it. Just a coincidence.

Not. I had seen what really happened. He went out and found DJ a new bunny.

It hit me then like an arrow from Cupid's bow.

He was good.

On the inside I think I was cheering. It felt like walking in from the dead of winter to a warm fireplace. The warmth just seeped into me, leaving a light happy feeling I had never felt before. My heart was beating faster than ever and I could literally feel the blush rising on my face. I was love struck. My sane frame of mind was gone. Forget about practical. Professionalism was a long time away. The goofy smile on my lips was just something I couldn't hide. I ran over to him. In my imagination I could've sworn it was skipping.

Of course he denied it. I just had to let him know that I was the sole witness to his good deed. I had seen the small act of kindness. Maybe it was my own way of telling him that he was human. He was good on the inside. I couldn't think anything now except that my crush was burning ten times hotter now. I promised to keep it our very own secret. That made it even better. This was special. All mine. Cupid probably got a kick out of my reaction. The one girl who never thought she would go crazy over a guy just lost her mind.

What had I done?

Just what had I gotten my self into?

**A/N: And……scene! That's a wrap people. Just so you know this isn't the real story yet. Just building it up then I'll skip to the present. If you know any good quotes on relationships and love then please send them to me. I especially need ones that are sad, depressed, about breaking up, broken relationships, and hope. New beginnings and getting back together. Next up is Duncan before they got together. Then their happy relationship. Then the breakup. Send in anything you think will help. Even Title names. Thanks! Flame, review, constructively criticize me….whatever you want….**


	3. Pissed

Pissed.

That's what he was. He couldn't believe he was stuck in this rundown, hellhole of a place. Yeah, they definitely lied in that advertisement. Duncan, honestly just wanted to punch someone in the face. Of course he couldn't though, because then he'd probably get sent back to juvy again on assault charges. He hated the island. The only reason he was staying was for the money and the fact that they would sue his ass so far into the ground that they would bury him.

There was also one other thing that he didn't like on the island.

Courtney.

She was so uptight. He also thought she was snooty, a fake, a snob, a nag, too serious, overachieving, bitch. She was so annoying.

She just always had something to say back. That was something Duncan wasn't used to. He had never had the problem of not being able to shut someone up. She on the other hand just wouldn't take the hint.

No matter how annoying it was in his opinion, he had to say there was something admirable about her biting responses. She just wouldn't take any crap from him. She also wasn't intimidated by him. He had to say he found it a bit interesting.

Duncan always got some sort of sadistic pleasure from pissing people off. Either that or scaring the crap out of them. He got a lot of amusement out of getting under other people's skin.

That being said Courtney was the perfect victim. It was just so much fun messing with her. She would scrunch up her face and toss her hair over her shoulder. Her face would redden just slightly, making her freckles stand out. Her voice would raise an octave. And to make it even better, she of course would fight back, since apparently Princess wasn't used to not getting her way. She just had to win the battle. It seemed that she and Duncan were alike in that matter. Duncan loved a fight and she wouldn't back down. Duncan, as much as he found her annoying, just couldn't seem to stay away. Everyone else either ran away or knew not to get involved. She couldn't resist the challenge.

Courtney acted like she was so much mature than him. In his opinion she probably was, but still she didn't really know. She probably just assumed she was better and he was a screwup. The idea of knocking her down a peg just seemed like a great way to waste some time. They were honestly like fire and ice.

They were polar opposites.

The furthest thing from each other.

Maybe that's where the attraction started. Like a magnet he just ended up right back next to her.

That's actually where his fascination with her began. It's not like he was trying to stalk her.

_"Our subconscious minds have no sense of humor, play no jokes and cannot tell the difference between reality and an imagined thought or image. What we continually think about eventually will manifest in our lives."~ Unknown_

Okay, maybe he was, but he just couldn't help it. On a subconscious level, his interest had been snagged. He couldn't help he was curious. We usually are inquisitive about things that differ from us.

_" Sometimes it's a form of love just to talk to somebody that you have nothing in common with and still be fascinated by their presence."~ __David Byrne__  
_

So that's what Duncan did.

Through his unintentional observation he began to notice little quirks that the so called "Good Girl" had.

Like Sunshine had six freckles. They sat right above her nose and showed perfectly when she got pissed off and turned red.

Dollface also had a nice figure. Not deathly skinny and not at all fat. Slim with nice sized hips and her uptight butt wasn't bad either. She also didn't need any help in the chest area if you knew what he meant. She had soft caramel skin and a perfect nose. It sat right below her thick black lashes and onyx eyes. They weren't black all the way through. When you looked closely her eyes had softer tones of shimmering grey and green shining in their deep depths. Her hair was silky, soft to the touch. And he had to admit her expressions were sorta cute.

It was as these thoughts ran through his head that he realized that he had never really thought about another girl so much or like that at all.

He remembered exactly when these thoughts had begun to pop into his mind. That night in the forest he had realized just how perfectly she fit against him. It was also different actually holding her instead of her walking away from him haughtily after calling him a pig. The next morning he woke up to the most pleasant surprise. He woke to Courtney snuggling up to him in her sleep. She was leaning on his chest with a small, warm smile on her face. That was a big difference from how she usually reacted. He looked down at her and then decided upon the best course of action in that situation.

He went back to sleep. Unless he wanted his head torn off or to be blamed for this little incident then he might as well just relax. Besides he wanted to see her reaction. Just know how she would feel about it. Maybe in the back of his mind it was actually about seeing how she really felt. Or maybe just enjoying the rare occurrence at hand. Either way what is done is done.

She freaked. She denied it. She also tried to reason out of it. Duncan still saw the blush though. He admitted to himself that he had enjoyed it. Maybe there had been more to that blush after all? So he decided as they returned that maybe he didn't really hate her as much as he thought. It was just too much fun in his opinion being around her.

That sadistic and wrong part of him thought about what it would be like to corrupt her pristine little mind. Endless fun, in his opinion.

Duncan decided then that maybe just maybe he was starting to like Courtney. She creased him, but then again he found it sort of hot. He was going to have fun trying to get this girl.


	4. Realizations and Contemplations

"_If it's wrong to love you, then my heart just won't let me be right"._

Courtney glared at the back of Duncan's head as he got into line to get his daily serving of Chef's gruel.

No matter how much she denied it, he always insisted that she liked him. And the worst part of it was that the arrogant bastard was right. Courtney hated being wrong.

She tried to say she hated Duncan, but she knew deep inside that it was a lie. She couldn't let anyone know it was true though. She could only imagine the blow to her pride. Her poor pride had already suffered enough

Despite their differences Duncan was every bit her equal in their little feuds. There was no winning, only stalemates. As much as he annoyed her, she couldn't squish the feelings rolling inside of her.

In his own special way Duncan had won. No guy could make her feel this way. With guys she always knew what would happen and could always take control of the situation. With him she had no idea where this was going. He was so exciting, in a way.

Part of her wished to just let loose like he did.

Say what she wanted and break the rules.

Be bad.

Courtney mentally slapped herself. There was no way she would do that. In her mind she stamped that little voice of rebellion down and went back to denying herself what she wanted. What we want is not always best for us.

She turned back to Bridgette and let her friend's words pull her back to the real world. The world where she was listening to Bridgette talk excitedly about Geoff. This was the right course of action. She would always follow the rules and set the perfect example. Even if it killed her.

* * *

Duncan walked to the table and sat down with Geoff and the other Killer Bass. His eyes fell on Courtney's face as she and Bridgette whispered animatedly about their hidden subject. Both of them jumped slightly as Geoff gave a joyous, "What's up dudettes?!!"

Duncan felt a smirk come over his face as he saw Courtney's face redden slightly as she gave a quick reply.

"Oh, nothing Geoff. Hey, DJ. Greetings, delinquent."

"A little pissy this morning, are we Princess?"

"My name is Courtney, you pig. And only with you."

Duncan walked over to the stand where they had coffee and mugs sitting. At least if you couldn't eat, you could drown out the hunger with some mediocre caffeine. The severely underfed campers wouldn't dare complain.

As Duncan picked up a mug, he realized something. He had an unsatisfied urge to just do something bad. He didn't ever think he would be able to explain the rush he got. All those rules telling you what you could and couldn't do were stifling. It was like with every little rebellion he started, it was a little piece of his freedom being recovered. And it was a difference between him and his law enforcement family. Of course as his family and many parole officers could say, when Duncan felt the need to cause trouble, he would find a way. The gravity of the crime didn't matter. Just that he had succeeded in his venture.

He felt himself pick up the mug and shove it in his pocket. It wasn't a big deal considering he had stolen bigger and more expensive things. He had a knack for not getting caught.

Then again, there was a certain somebody with a knack for creasing Duncan. Who else could it be except for Courtney?

"I saw that! How could you just steal a mug?" she nagged.

"Cause it's cool looking and I don't have one. Didn't have one, that is.", he replied. He smirked at her.

"But you might get kicked off!", Courtney said. As if the infraction was really that monumental.

"Aww…And here I thought you didn't think you cared about me."

Even though he was making light of the situation, he really did sorta like how Courtney treated him like a ticking time bomb and how she worried about him.

He would admit that Courtney was not an easy girl to get. Then again maybe that was one of the reasons he liked her so much. He liked a challenge. She certainly gave him one. The chase was just part of the attraction. He really didn't care that he would probably have a long distance to run if he wanted her. After all the time he spent running from the cops, he knew he could keep up.

One thing everyone agreed on was that Duncan had persistence.

* * *

Bridgette sat at the table with the other Killer Bass trying to stomach the food or at least enough so she wouldn't starve. It wasn't working. She heard a frustrated cry that could only be Courtney.

She turned to see her best friend on the island glaring at Duncan as he smirked at her. She wondered what exactly they were arguing about now.

Sometimes Bridgette felt sorry for her. As much as she thought that Duncan was a jerk and Courtney agreed with her, even she knew that her friend liked him. Courtney was very good at denying things and reasoning her way out of it, so there wasn't even a way to understand just what train of thought could possibly be running through her friend's head. She looked back to see the other Bass watching the next World War take place. That's when Bridgette realized that while she may not have known Courtney's exact thoughts, there was a possible chance to know what was going on in the resident criminal's mind.

Bridgette turned to her crush and for the moment tucked away her little love struck thoughts. This was important.

"Hey Geoff, I have a question."

"Yea, Bridge?"

"How does Duncan feel about Courtney?" The question hung in the air, waiting for a response.

"Well, we probably shouldn't say, but the dude really likes her.", Geoff said. DJ nodded confirming this.

"Well, Courtney won't admit it, but she likes him.", Bridgette admitted.

DJ turned to look at their friends. They were caught up still in whatever argument had been started. They were in their own little world. "Those two belong together."

As the three Bass went back to prodding what they were given to eat, they wondered about their friends.

After all, how could they stand being witnesses to such a heinous situation as two people who just couldn't get together?_"_

* * *

_  
_

_Love is being stupid together."__Paul Valery_

Heather sat watching the Bass from her table. Most campers would think that she was thinking mean things about them. Or maybe she was coming up with a strategy that involved using their weaknesses against them. She wasn't though. Heather at the moment was contemplating about their relationship or lack or lack of one.

The good girl and bad boy. In her opinion, they sounded like a movie cliché. Maybe it could happen in real life, but it happened mostly in movies. Then again, they were on TV.

All these losers were hooking up all over the crappy place. Didn't they ever stop to realize just how possibly dumb it could be. Maybe this was fine if you just wanted to have a summer fling, but that didn't seem to be the ideal for some of these "campers". Newsflash people: They were from all over Canada. Way to get split up when the show was over. Morons.

It was also dumb, because all it did was distract you. When you were boyfriend and girlfriend, that meant having at least a small obligation.

That wasn't something she would deal with. With an alliance all she had done was say she would take them to the final three. If that didn't happen, it was no concern of hers.

In any case they had wondered what would happen when they did make it to the final three. It was simple. The alliance would split and she would win.

Heather thought back to the two bickering bass members. Another budding romance on the horizon. Like she cared. Then again she had to hand it to the prep. She couldn't have picked a better person if you needed to win. Heather really did think that the delinquent would be a final three member.

Heather may not have been friends with Courtney, but she did have some small amount of respect for her. They were similar in some aspects.

The Bass girl seemed to either realize the stupidity of looking for a long term relationship or realized just how much of a sleaze Duncan was.

Heather thought that Courtney was one of the few campers she could stand. Duncan just pissed her off.

Heather would watch them though. If they got together they could be a formidable team. In any case she was mildly interested in their stupid conflict. Maybe it was the lack of any recent soaps or dramas on TV.

She did soon realize, she was living them right now.

* * *

_" It takes a minute to have a crush on someone,__an hour to like someone, and an day to love someone...but it takes a lifetime to forget someone."~ __Unknown_

In the few days after the Bass conversation, Bridgette decided that it was up to her to bring Courtney out of her denial. They wouldn't be here forever and it would be horrible for Courtney to always wonder what could've been. That was the thought she had in mind as she sat down to have some girl talk with Courtney in the Bass girl's cabin. With Sadie gone and them being the only two people there, she could finally have the privacy she needed. This was her chance.

"Courtney, do you think if I like someone here….that I should tell them." Bridgette asked timidly.

"O f course, Bridgette. We don't know how long we're going to be here on Wawanakwa. You should go for it. We all know Geoff totally likes you." said her brunette friend happily.

Bridgette was glad her friend was all for helping her get Geoff, but this wasn't about them. She had to make Courtney realize for herself that this was a chance in life that she didn't want to miss.

"You really think so?" she asked as though she was confused.

"Yeah, I do Bridgette! He's totally into you. This is a chance you don't want to miss. He's a really good guy." As Courtney uttered these words, it was like Bridgette heard a trap snap shut somewhere. This was exactly what she was waiting for. Gotcha.

"And you're sure of this?" Bridgette asked confirming what she knew Courtney had said.

"Yes!! I'm starting to sound like a broken record. Just go for it already. If two people like each other they should be together. Simple."Courtney said exasperated. Just how many different ways could she explain this to her blonde friend?

"So why don't you follow your own advice?" Bridgette asked cleverly. She had outsmarted Courtney. That was quite an impressive feat.

Silence enveloped the room as Courtney realized that she had been played. She was trapped by her own words and couldn't take them back.

They were definitely right, when they said be careful what you say.

Courtney's mind was racing as she tried to come up with something to say. A rebuttal. A reason why her own advice didn't apply to herself.

"B…but Bridgette…that's different. Duncan doesn't like me like that. And I don't like him. At all. He's a cretin. Pig. Delinquent. That's would never happen."

"That's not true. Geoff and DJ said that Duncan is crazy about you. You're just in denial." Bridgette finally was blunt.

"That can't be true. I don't. I….I …just..don't okay." Courtney muttered.

As they both fell silent, they realized that Courtney was on the verge of giving up. As much as she tried, s the truth was staring her in the face.

Just how long could she avoid something so clear to everyone? She wasn't blind. She wasn't oblivious.

Bridgette stood and grabbed her bathing suit and surfboard. "I'm going surfing. I'll see you later. Okay?"

"Yeah…I'll be in the showers. " Courtney grabbed her towel and stood up, heading for the communal bathrooms.

As the two friends parted ways, they both had solemn looks on their faces.

One was wondering had they finally broken through to their stubborn friend. The other was too confused to form complete thoughts. There were just too many fragments bouncing around in her mind.

* * *

Courtney stood in the shower feeling the scalding hot water run over her body. Maybe if she stood there motionless long enough the water would wash away all these murky thoughts and feelings that had a hold of her. She wasn't used to this. She made decisions and stuck with them. There weren't usually things that stop her sense of direction.

Since coming to Total Drama Island that was changing. The biggest decision she could make at this time was staring her in the face. It was taunting her with her newfound inability to just know what she wanted.

Courtney stood there hoping with each drop of water that at least for a moment itwould take away the tension and feelings. Something to give her a temporary escape.

She momentarily succeeded. Her mind went blank.

The steam of the showers filled the bathroom, covering the mocha skinned girl with a veil of peace and quiet, no longer being bothered with unanswered questions.

* * *

_" When you are in love with life nothing is too hard. Everything has freshness and reason, and all is as it is."~ Unknown_

Bridgette sat on her board thinking quietly. She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn't even realize that Geoff had decided to go swimming. She did notice it though when Geoff realized it was his favorite surfer girl and gave a jolly, but loud greeting.

"Hey Bridge!" Geoff belted out.

The poor surfer was so shocked she fell straight off her board and into the cool ocean water. She swam back to the surface spitting out some water and pulling her wet bangs out of her face. "Hey, Geoff."

"Sorry, if I spooked you Bridge." He said.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I wasn't paying attention at all. I was too busy thinking." She replied.

"Thinking about what?" He asked as he propped himself up on the edge of her board.

"I finally talked to Courtney. I'm just wondering if I got through to her."She replied soberly. She looked at the resident party boy.

"I'm sure you did Bridge. Wanna hang out?" He asked trying to cheer her up.

Bridgette looked at him and smiled. The two blondes ended up spending the afternoon together, splashing and soaking up sun.

**A/N: And….scene. That's the end of this part. I'm putting up the other part really soon. Probably today. I just cut it off here because I can't seem to connect these two parts without it seeming rushed. Since I've put up so many pieces lately, I'm gonna need a lot of reviews. The more I get, the sooner I post. I also think I'm gonna need a beta reader. If anyone would like the job, just PM me. And soon in the story, I'll need an OC to be Duncan's girlfriend. So come up with some ideas. If you think any quotes could fit the theme of this story send them in. And thanks for reading!!**


	5. Finally

"_You know when you have found your prince because you not only have a smile on your face but in your heart as well." _~_Unknown_

Courtney walked through the grounds of Total Drama Island, a flashlight and bowl of Chef's gruel in hand. As she walked, Geoff's words rang in her thoughts.

"You like him."

"I do _not_ like him."

"Yes, you do."

"Not only do I not like him, I can't stand him. He's rude, he's rebellious, and he's totally annoying. .... I'm gonna go check on him."

Even now as she walked towards the boat house she realized that Geoff, while not being the sharpest crayon in the box, could tell she was worried about Duncan. He knew that she had a thing for him. Denial wasn't working.

Maybe, just maybe, she would tell Duncan. He wasn't so bad. He was into her. All she had to do was give in. Let loose. As the thought ran through her head she realized that little voice in her mind that was temptation was winning.

The surprising thing was that she couldn't find it in her to care.

All of these years being her parents' "perfect little angel" were suffocating her.

Never making mistakes, always obeying, limiting her fun, working towards the future.

She was so tired. She just felt like letting it all go. Maybe that was where he had her. He was giving her that chance. He had read her like an open book. He was right when he said that she wanted him.

She really did want him. All she had to do was let go completely. That was something she'd never done.

Just do it.

It's not the right thing.

It's what I want.

Don't do it.

I want to be free.

Conflicting thoughts ran through her. No matter how much she wanted this, she had been raised to do the exact opposite. Going against everything her parents had told her wouldn't be easy. Disregarding those principles that had been instilled in her since birth.

Yet, part of her thought that this was what she needed. He completed her, like a puzzle piece. He was her opposite. He was her kryptonite.

As she walked through the door, all thoughts that ran through her mind quieted down.

* * *

Duncan was sitting in the boat house thinking. Who else could be dominating his thoughts other than the brunette beauty that was so skillful at eluding him?

Duncan truly did like her. He remembered when they were facing their fears; her sliding her soft hand into his and telling him it would be alright. That look in her eyes so unlike her usual façade. The look that was so soft and gentle.

He actually tried to comfort her when her turn came. Duncan didn't do that. Ever. If it was up to him he would've tried to scare the person even more, or laugh at their expense. That never came to mind with her.

He thought back to the cooking challenge when she threw the whole bowl of custard on his head. In his opinion, he had enjoyed seeing her let loose for once. He saw her scooping custard off his face with her finger and tasting it. He couldn't help but smile as he remembered her giggling and giving him that triumphant smirk, so similar to his own.

It was almost like he had a moment for each day on Total Drama Island that involved her. This was utterly new for Duncan.

He didn't sweat over girls, and he never fell for them. There were no long term relationships, but with her that was different.

He honestly couldn't think of that time when he and Courtney wouldn't see each other. He couldn't recall not following her around, not hearing her nag.

She had him.

That's when the door opened to reveal the least likely person.

* * *

"Duncan?"

"Princess!"

"I wish you would stop calling me that." As much as she said that, deep down she found it cute.

"So finally come to claim that kiss?" Flirtatious as always wasn't he?

"Even pigs deserve a meal." She began to wonder if she really did like this guy. Should she be feeding him Chef's food?! She wasn't trying to poison him, after all.

"No thanks. I'll stick with the bait." He gave a pointed glance at the wriggling worms. Considering he could barely get the spoon back out of whatever the heck that was, she couldn't blame him. What the hell was that?! Cement?? Yeah…if you can't identify it you probably shouldn't eat it.

"Yeah, well that's all Chef would serve us after our 'pathetic' performance on the obstacle course." She couldn't help letting out crack of a smile. Duncan had made the day so much funnier. Maybe her family wouldn't have thought so, but she could barely stop herself from giggling when he got going. He was so brave standing up to Chef like that. He hadn't even been afraid of the boat house.

Personally she just had to know what would possess him to do that. Taking on Chef? Not many people were up to that.

"Why do you egg Chef on like that? You know you're going to get in trouble. "

"Why are you so uptight all the time?"

"I am** not **uptight."

"You always follow the rules."

"Well you always have to break them."

"Only the ones I want to."

"Okay, so maybe I do follow the rules. I guess that makes me a big, uptight loser in your books, right?" She might as well be honest with herself.

Okay, she couldn't help the annoyed grunt. He was the only one who could do this too her. One second it's all calm and then he annoys the hell out of her. _Annoying bastard._

"Okay, so why do you follow them?"

"Because not following the rules gets you thrown into a fish cabin!!" How thick skulled could this Neanderthal be?? Did she have to spell it out for him?

"But I'm in the fish cabin with you, aren't I?"

Courtney couldn't help the small blush and smile. She felt all the annoyance just melt away as she realized just how sweet that sounded.

That was Duncan. He had the uncanny ability to piss her off and then charm her all in the same minute.

At the cost of feeling bipolar, she just loved how he could just say the sweetest things to her. He could go from being a narcissistic douche, to the biggest teddy bear. There was just something about them.

"Feel like ditching this stuff for some peanut butter and jam?"

"Huh, are you kidding? All I've had for two days is this gruel. But Chef will never give it to us." She was dying for some for food. As soon as the thought of grabbing some edible food from Chef' stash came to mind, she shot it down. She could still remember Geoff asking to order pizza and almost getting his head chopped off with a cleaver. Not what she had planned.

"See? Now that's the problem with your thinking. The trick is to not ask for it."

"Do you have some on you?" She just couldn't seem to quit smiling. He was being nice!

"No. But I happen to know where to find it. It will involve breaking quite a few rules though. Are you in?"

As Courtney looked into those mischievous teal eyes she realized that she simply didn't care about the rules right now. Screw them. She wanted to have some fun. She wanted to be with Duncan. Preferably somewhere less creepy than the boathouse.

"Let's do it!" They high-fived on it.

That was when Courtney began her walk with the devil.

And you know what?

She was gonna enjoy it.

"_Love makes us do crazy things."~ Anonymous_

* * *

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_

Duncan was no stranger to break ins. And stealing wasn't rare. However, this time there was one difference.

He had a partner.

Courtney.

He had finally gotten through to Princess. At this very moment they were sneaking up to the Craft Services tent disguised as bushes. He poked his head out searching for any cameramen or interns. If it was caught on the automatic cameras, then who cared? It would be too late. He and Princess would be in the clear by then.

_When I looked into your eyes and you dared to stare right back, you should have said, 'Nice to meet you, I'm your other half." –Reliant K_

As that thought ran through his mind, he looked back at his partner-in-crime. She gave him a big smile. Excitement was written on her face, and he couldn't help but return the favor. He could see her holding in a laugh, and it seemed like she'd finally pulled that pole out of her ass.

He pulled back the flap to the tent and they crawled out of the bushes and across the floor.

"Slowly…Slowly crawl." He whispered. She nodded looking at him like he was the most important person in the world. She was smiling so brightly. He could swear it was enough to melt icebergs. Maybe even enough to melt his heart.

He slipped open the fridge as slowly and quietly as possible. It would suck to get so far and then get caught.

He looked at Courtney smiling at him. No way was he getting her caught. They grabbed food and shoved it into a basket. Both of them were silently laughing as they heard Chef and Chris drone on about pointless topics as food was stolen right from under their noses.

He could feel that same rush again. Only this time it was even more intense. Maybe it was the brunette girl beside him.

He had to cover his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing on the floor as she pulled out her own personal surprise.

A bass.

Man did he like this woman. Who knew the princess could be so much fun?

She smirked evilly as she left the raw fish in Chef and Chris's fridge.

Duncan grabbed one more thing as they closed the fridge. Luckily it looked undisturbed. Perfect. Too bad they couldn't be there when Chris and Chef opened it.

He and Courtney ran across the grounds outside. Her smile was so big. The joyful expression was real this time. Part of Duncan was glad that he was the one to put that smile on her face. It had not been easy, but it was worth it to see her like this.

Having fun.

Letting loose.

Not avoiding him.

He joined in with her as she let out a cry of triumph and joy.

Freedom.

He had finally seen the other side of Courtney. What she looked like on the inside was just as beautiful as the outside.

* * *

Courtney ran out the Bass girls' cabin as she felt all the junk food she had eaten coming right back up. She grabbed onto the railing and heaved.

.

.

.

She stood back up. Yeah being bad could be fun….but that didn't mean eating sweets till you barfed. She leaned back over trying to get that acidic taste back out her mouth. She had learned her lesson.

She thought back to earlier that night. She had let loose. She had fun. Actually she had the time of her life. For the first time she felt like she was really living.

Duncan hadn't been a jerk, he was just too much fun. She couldn't stop that happy feeling that had sprung up in her. He had her following him like a love sick puppy and she couldn't find it in her to be ashamed.

"So, the princess has a dark side." Here was the guy who she had broken the rules with. Who had helped her let loose. Who always flirted endlessly with her.

"_My only love sprung from my only hate."William Shakespeare_

"That was so gross, but it was like once I did something bad, it was so much fun, I just wanted more." She didn't know how to explain it. It was like of a rush of freedom.

"Well you could always give me that kiss. That would be pretty bad." Duncan was giving her this look. That look just screamed how smooth he was. It was like his eyes were telling her to lean in and let loose. It couldn't be that bad. Could it?

Another thought came to mind. Did she even care?

"You're still not my type." She couldn't keep that smile off her face. She didn't care if he was her type or not. Right now she only cared that, for this moment in time, it was like they were the only two people on the island.

"Fine. Enjoy a peanut butterless life." He was leaning with his back towards her.

"Thanks. Enjoy prison." Now she was leaning her back against his. It felt so right. Was it possible that two people could be perfectly made for each other? Could two people just click?

"I will."

Maybe it was karma.

Or fate.

Was it destiny?

For some strange reason life had thrown her in this hellhole of a place full of drama, crazy people and insane life threatening challenges.

Somewhere along the line she had met Duncan and he had thrown her for a loop. She had no idea where they were going or headed. What the heck life had in store for them. What tomorrow held was a mystery.

She didn't care.

She. Didn't. Care.

All that mattered was right here and now.

The insanity of it all was staring her in the face.

"_See, the human mind is kind of like... a piñata. When it breaks open, there's a lot of surprises inside. Once you get the piñata perspective, you see that losing your mind can be a peak experience." -Jane Wagner_

She had this guy who made her feel like no one ever had before. He was driving her crazy.

She was enjoying every moment of it.

She was living for the first time. Life would not pass her by.

If she was going to join in on the insanity, she would enjoy it to the fullest.

That was when Courtney Lynette Mann spun around and kissed Duncan Winters full on the lips.

At that moment two hearts sped up.

Two minds lost all thought process.

Two pairs of lips joined perfectly.

Two teens melted in each other's arms.

Two people opened their eyes and got lost in each others.

And faraway drama was set in motion.

"_Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."Albert Einstein_

* * *

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**A/N: So this part was sort of hard to write because even though I didn't want to skip it, I really wanted to go to the dramatic parts. It was a lot easier finishing than writing in the middle. Sorry if its not the best. I could really use some help on the quotes. I'm looking for ones about love, insanity, being selfish, losing a love or any that MIGHT fit a chapter. I'll go back and add it if it's good enough. Seriously think up a good female OC because they will probably be coming in like 2-3 chapters. Please review and tell me how I can improve, if it sucks, or whatever you might feel like saying. Special thanks to those who sent quotes or previewed it for me. You all rock!!**


	6. Please don't kill me!

**Soooo…it's been a while. Everyone who was reading this sorry for leaving this story unfinished so long! Please don't kill me! Besides being very busy in school, and having family issues to take care of..I sorta lost direction on the story. Then I found it, started typing up inspired chapters and then my laptop was destroyed. That's right! B****lame Mr. Cinnamon****, my 100 lb pit-bull/Rottweiler puppy. That poor laptop never saw it coming. Screen got smashed and the thing started tearing in half… But its summer and I've got a new laptop which will remain safe in my room. I will try to rewrite those few destroyed chapters and keep updating. Sorry also for getting your hopes up and then crushing them with this author's note. As soon as the next chapter is rewritten I will remove this and replace it with more story. So bye for now.**


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